Travel with Art

Mom and I headed to Bangkok on December 23 to spend Christmas there with several friends from Phuket: Steve Marshall, Steve's son Chris and Chris' girlfriend Stacy, John Hassall and Uie, John Young, Russel Martin, and Jude and Steve. We all stayed near or on Sukhumvit Soi 11 but in a few different hotels. Still, with the sky train, it was easy to gather - as we did over the next 3 days. First up was drinks at an Irish Bar as the people started to arrive. The next day Mom went out with Steve to do a bit of shopping and I headed to the Indian Embassy to collect my passport with the visa for my travel in January to India. Then Christmas Eve Dinner at the wonderful Italian restaurant, Lemoncello. Christmas Day we headed over to the Intercontinental Hotel for a multi-hour buffet dinner (some of use took the free-flowing champagne and wine package; a few were not imbibing). Boxing Day we headed out to the Chao Pray river and boarded a longtail boat to traverse sections of the river

Every year the Raja Muda Sailing Regatta is held in Malaysia. Starting at Port Klang (near Kuala Lumpur) the event races to Pangkor, then Penang, and finishes in Langkawi.  I did this year's race on Nick Smith's Freewind, with fellow crew Mai, Mick, John, Wazza, and Tony. Some people kipped on board but 4 of us took the more comfortable route of hotels at each of the stops. We raced in class 5 (there were 3 classes for IRC rated boats, 1 for premier, 1 for multi-hulls, and 1 for cruising boats). Race 1: Port Klang to Pangkor - result 2 Race 2: Pangkor to Penang - result 6 Race 3: inshore Penang - result 2 Race 4: Penang to Langkawi - result 5 Race 5: inshore Langkawi - result 1 Race 6: inshore Langkawi - result 3 OVERALL - we finished 3rd in our class  A few pictures and a video for you: Sunset at sea Penang: fish farms and George Town Crew under way Sunset in harbour Me and Mount Gay Waiting to start Penang inshore race

Taxi - Train - Tuk Tuk - Mini Van - Taxi   Train tracks at Village Stop On the train So what a ride! We set our alarm clocks and where checked out and in our taxi at 4:30am.  We arrived at Hualamphang Railway station at 4:50, purchased our tickets (Thai Baht 48 per person - around US$1.60) and stood around for a long time with the locals and a few dodgy looking foreigners. Around 5:10am we heard a train arriving and moved out to our platform 6 - good thing because as soon as it stopped and the non-existent passengers disembarked - it was open for open seating boarding.  We lucked in! The train left station at 6:05 (only 10 minutes late). We commenced through the densely populated city of Bangkok and out into the outlaying countryside. A completley flat landscape from Bangkok to the Cambodian border. With Cambodia continuing the endless flat views. The Tuk Tuk from the train tried to drop us off first at a spot to get a Cambodian visa but we were already prepared to tel

Hi all, this update is to let you know the itinerary I have for the remainder of 2012. It's a packed full schedule. October 20: flight to Bangkok and meet up with David, Leslie and their 2 kids October 22: 5:55am train with the Rules to the Cambodian border and taxi to Seam Reap (Angkor Wat) October 22 - 27: in Seam Reap October 27: travel back to Bangkok October 28: flight to Hong Kong October 28 - November 6: in Hong Kong November 6: flight to Phuket November 15: flight to Kuala Lumpur and meet up with Tony and Mick for drive to Port Klang November 16 - 25: Raja Muda Sailing Regatta (Port Klang to Pangkor to Penang to Langkawi) November 26: approximate - sail / deliver the yacht Freewind from Langkawi to Phuket December 1 - 8: King's Cup Sailing Regatta in Phuket December 11: flight to Bangkok to meet up with Mom who arrives late that evening, overnight and return to Phuket the next day And that's it for 2012 with Christmas in Phuket with Mom and my friends

I am sort of skipping over the wonderful time I had with family in Whitecourt (and will have again before onward travels).  This entry will be all about Yellowknife and the Aurora Borealis. First though I must mention that the roads in from Alberta where quite empty except for individual and herds of buffalo! And the roads themselves took a turn for the worst over the last 100 km into Yellowknife when they choose to more closely resemble a roller coaster (contractor laid hot tarmack over the permafrost with a resulting free roller coaster ride). Buffalo from car window Another click of Buffalo on the road Yellowknife is the capital of the Canadian North West Territories and is home to around 20,000 people out of a territory wide population of 41,000. Supposedly they are the highest per capita city as well. Originally a gold hotspot - that industry no longer factors - they are today North America's Diamond Capital.  And a quaint village it is with friendly people, great

I headed out of Provincetown on August 15 and was sad to leave. It really was a wonderful stay. Toll ways were the "un-memorable" rule of the next two days as I worked my way out of the New England states. Thankfully the roads were much better and toll free through Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota. Then my next adventure was crossing back into Canada where Canada Customs thought I needed to be more fully searched! OK just doing their jobs - unfortunately that delayed me by 70 minutes. At the end it was all my computer stuff that caused the delay... their IT expert was unable to figure out my GoPro video camera (really?), my bluetooth communicator for my hearing aid and my communicator for my Garmin GPS watch (OK those 2 are kind of out there!). No harm done I still arrived in early evening at Kerry and Donna's home in Winnipeg. That evening I met Kerry's dad, Harold, again and he is in great shape (never mind that he is 90 years young).  I can just hope that

It was actually a fairly poor set of roads with tolls, tolls, tolls to get from Canada to Boston. Still it was a great day to be out driving. These tolls in the New England states were: US$1.00 in Maine (1 toll and most of the route),  US$4.00 in New Hampshire (2 tolls and a minuscule portion of the route), and US$4.00 in Massachusetts (2 tolls). Boston So there I was in beantown (er Boston). But how did that name come to be?  The nickname's history seems to have started with the Narragansett, Penobscot and the Iroquois people. They created the first baked bean recipe in which the main ingredient in baked beans is maple syrup. The Iroquois discovered maple syrup. Legend tells us that a tomahawk was thrown into a maple tree one night. The next morning sap came out of the hole. This sap tasted sweet. Meat was boiled in it and found to be delicious. Thus, we have the beginnings of a baked bean recipe - maple syrup. During colonial time, the pilgrims learned how to make baked beans

Ivan and the kids headed out back to Alberta and Mom and I headed out for Salmon River on Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy coast to visit my Aunt Lucia and my cousins and their families. Mom stayed with Aunt Lucia and I stayed with cousin Jeanne and her husband David. I would love to say that it was all sunny skies but I would be lying. The "F" word made its appearance on many a day (that would be FOG!). Still we did have great days both in Salmon River and out at the LeBlanc cottages. And really when it came right down to it the foggy days were actually wonderful to be out walking (with Jeanne), or jogging (on my own) around the area. And when it counted... the weather was indeed gorgeous. Lovely at the lake. Even better Whale Watching off of Brier Island at the end of Digby Neck and out in the Bay of Fundy. Most mornings, regardless of weather, I got my daily fix of watching the London 2012 Olympic Games. I cheered on the Canadians who did better in some events and fell s